Long Shop Museum 15 Main St, Leiston IP16 4ES, UK

Just minutes from Snape, Aldeburgh and RSPB Minsmere The Long Shop Museum offers fun for families, inspiring stories and feats of engineering, gorgeous designs and the Long Shop itself – a true icon of industrial revolution Britain. You can spend a super half-day visit here. Add to this one of the many other great local attractions, and make up a really lovely day out in Suffolk.

After a great 2017 season the museum is now closed for our 2017/18 winter season, but do look out for events during this period. The museum will open from 20th March 2018.

The Long shop Museum tells an inspiring story of enterprise and endeavour in this small Suffolk town and its remarkable factory. Displays are housed in a cluster of original grade II listed buildings.

Amongst them is the Long Shop itself – named by workers ‘The Cathedral’.

Explore our atmospheric galleries and you’ll find fantastic collections and great hands-on activities. Here are some of our visitors’ favourites.

• Our cosy living van – as used by road makers, shepherds and other farm workers in years gone by.
• Have a go at making moulds with our pattern boxes.
• Guns and ammunition including sections of the Mulberry harbours.
• Loads of clothes for dressing up.
• The wonderful Richard Garrett ‘Victomatic’ Dry Cleaning Machine.
• Stunning design including gorgeous name plates.
• The water tower with its 148m well – the deepest in Suffolk.
• Consuelo Allen, Princess Marina and other glorious traction engines.
• The spectacular Long Shop itself – an icon of industrial Britain.

And there are 200 years of inspiring and intriguing stories to discover.

• Elizabeth Garrett – the first woman Doctor.
• Leiston goes to The Great Exhibition.
• Suffolk’s industrial town – home to the county’s oldest cinema.
• Siripite, the continuing story of the Works’ rare shunting engine.

Access to the museum

Admission

Visitors with disabilities pay just £4.00.
Free entry for one companion.

Parking

Free disabled parking near the entrance (three spaces) for blue badge holders.
Call 01728 832189 to reserve a space.

Inside the museum

There is level access to most of our displays however care is required. Surfaces are sometimes uneven and outside there are some gravelled areas.

The first floor of the Long Shop is only accessible by an original, steep stairway. There are folders on the ground floor which give a flavour of these upstairs displays.

The introductory video has a good commentary and works without being able to see the visuals.

If you would like to discuss your visit beforehand please call us on 01728 832189 or email us info@longshopmuseum.co.uk

Induction loop

We can bring in an induction loop for group visits and need 2 week’s notice.

Toilets

We have accessible toilets on the ground floor.

Things to touch

Many items from the museum’s collections can be touched. Several activities are hands-on, including making moulds in sand using original patterns.